• Zier@fedia.io
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    3 months ago

    Swearing is actually normal for all people. Any word can be classified as a “swear” or “bad” word. That’s how language works. There is nothing wrong with using a word that is deemed a cuss word. The actual “bad” part is always the context the word is used in. If you smacked your foot into a chair accidentally and you called the chair a Bastard, you used the expletive correctly. But if you walked into work one morning and walked by your boss and said to him, “Good morning you Bastard.”, that’s going to get you in trouble. The context matters.

    You can make any word a cuss word in the context you use it. You can ask a person if they like Bananas, “Are you a banana eater?”. Or you can accuse a person, “What kind of a sick banana eater are you? What is wrong with you?”, ‘banana eater’ is now a bad phrase/thing.

    Context in language always matters, regardless of the taboo of a word/phrase.

    Words only have power over you if you let them. Language is to be used, enjoyed and laughed at.

    • morrowind@lemmy.ml
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      3 months ago

      You can’t entirely remove a word from it’s main meaning and there’s a reason all popular swear words are negative or taboo things, fuck, damn, hell etc

      • the post of tom joad
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        3 months ago

        Well gosh darnit the study of etymology is gonna want a word (hehe) with you. a faggot used to be an old unpleasant woman who was like baggage, as difficult to carry around as a bundle of sticks which was also called a faggot. Brits smoke fags.

        Literally is another example. Through use, it now has a secondary definition which is exactly the opposite of its primary one. (figurative, emphasis)There are less popular examples but your premise as i understand it is just wrong friend

        • morrowind@lemmy.ml
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          3 months ago

          I didn’t say the main meaning can’t change, just that you can’t remove it from said meaning by using it in a different context

          • the post of tom joad
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            3 months ago

            just that you can’t remove it from said meaning by using it in a different context

            I’m afraid i don’t follow (no sarcasm). Can you elaborate?

            • morrowind@lemmy.ml
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              3 months ago

              The main meaning of a word can change, but at any given time, you can’t use the word in a different context, and expect how people receive it to be completely divorced from its current main meaning

              • Zier@fedia.io
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                3 months ago

                This is true, which is why context matters. Like if you love a song so much and say, “That’s sick!”, people might think you mean “ill” and assume something negative.